Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy has broken her silence on his tragic, untimely death, saying she 'never thought' things would turn out the way they did.
The One Direction star had fallen from a balcony at the hotel CasaSur in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October.
A UK inquest later confirmed that Payne's death was caused by 'polytrauma' - which refers to multiple traumatic injuries - while the hotel’s manager, a receptionist, and a friend have been charged with manslaughter. A hotel employee and waiter have also since been charged with supplying cocaine.
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In her first global interview since his passing, Cassidy told The Sun that she had supported him 'through thick and thin', and that he was her 'charming soulmate' she planned to marry.
She also believes his fatal fall from the hotel balcony was not suicide, as some have speculated, but a tragic 'accident'.
“Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end," she said.
"Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina.”
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Cassidy addressed rumours that she'd returned to Florida after a fight with Payne, stressing that she'd actually rushed home to be with their rescue dog, Nala.
She continued: “I had a responsibility, we had a responsibility. We had our dog and obviously I never, ever thought this event would occur.
“It was a tragic accident and no, I never did think [he might die young]. But, you know, we did have our own separate lives - this wasn’t the first time we have travelled separately.
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“I just never thought this would have happened, that it would turn out the way it did.”
Cassidy said it still 'doesn't feel fully real' to her that Payne is no longer here, and that she still thinks of him 'every second of every day'.
She continued: “That he won’t be there with me to navigate through this life, that I’ll have to deal with this without him by my side... it’s really hard," she said.
“You don’t think about the worst possible thing that can happen.”
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Recalling the moment she found out Payne had died, Cassidy said she felt like she 'completely blacked out' and went 'numb' - even trying to call him.
“I feel blessed I didn’t find out over social media because I just couldn’t even imagine that," she remembered.
"I was in our home with our dog, scrolling TikTok and one of Liam’s friends called me.
“That moment, it’s like blank; it’s blacked out in my head.
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“I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was just a rumour. Or something that somebody made up just to get views. Then instantly I just had a bad feeling in my gut. I was like, ‘Why would somebody make this up? Is this true?’"
Payne had previously spoken out about his addiction issues and struggles with mental health, having tried therapy and rehab.
His reported relapse around the time of his death appeared to come from nowhere to Cassidy, who said 'you just never know when it's going to come out'.
Describing addiction as a 'serious issue' that is both 'under-valued and under-spoken about', she said she always tried to do anything she could to help him.
"I’m 25, I’m not an expert with any of this, so it was hard," she confessed.
"But I loved him and I loved him no matter what. I just did what I could do, and what I could manage to do.
“Liam was in such a good headspace when I left Argentina.
“We were in such a great place, just full of love; he was so happy and positive. And I just can’t even believe the way things truly ended.
“It’s genuinely insane to me how things can just be taken away from you so quickly in life, you never truly know what tomorrow will bring, you never know.”
Topics: Celebrity, Liam Payne, Mental Health, UK News
Jess Hardiman